Storage battery cell cover assembly



`STORAGE BATTERY CELL COVER ASSEMBLYA 'Filed March 1, 1938 fr g-J /w- Patented ct.v 14,. 1941 y STORAGEJ'BATTERY CELL COVER ASSEMBLY Henry'l Flikkie, Akrom'Ohio, assignor to The B. .F. Goodrich Company, New York, N. Y., a

corporation of New York Application March l, 1938-, Serial No. 193,299

' 2 claims. (ci. 13s- 178) This invention relates to storage battery cell cover assemblies and is particularly useful in eliminating acid spray.

' During use, storage batteries require the addition of water and areprovided with cell covers having a vent well through which the electrolyte may bey tested and water added. If too much water'is added to the cell, it traps gas above the bottom of the vent well. This gas eventually builds up sumcient pressure to depress the elec- Fig. is a vertical sectional view of a further modification of the invention, showing the vent plug in place.

trolyte to the level of the bottom of the vent well A -where the gas bubbles out,fthrowing an acid f spray with it. While this acid spray, which oc-` curs during charging, is inconvenient at all times, it is more inconvenient and often causes actual damage, where, as in the present tendency of design of motor cars, the battery is located in the same compartment with the motor or other delicate mechanism.

The principal objects of this invention are to provide an improved cover construction for preventing over-lling of the battery, substantially to prevent acid spray, and to provide simplicity of construction, and ease of operation.

These'an'd other objects will appear from the following description and the accompanying drawing.

Of the drawing:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of the three cell storage battery of atype suitable for use in motor vehicles.

Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation thereof, taken `on line 2-2 of Fig. 1 showing a vent well and plug assembly constructed according to and embodying the invention, the vent plug being shown as fully inserted.

Fig. 3 is a sectional elevation .of the same similar to Fig. 2, but showing the vent plug and valve member `in full lines and the position assumed as the vent plug is removed.

Fig. 4 is a sectional plan yview taken on line t-t of Fig. s. I/

Fig. 5 is a vertical sectional 'view similar to Fig. 2, showing a modified form of vent well and plug construction, the' plug being shown in full lines.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the rotatable valve member thereof. y

Fig. 'l' is a vertical sectional View like Fig.V 5 but showing the plug vremoved from the vent well.

Fig. 8 isa plan view of the same taken on line 8-8 of Fig. 'I with the plug removed.

Fig.` 9 is a view like Fig. 6 but showing a modied construction of the valve member.

Fig. l1 is a similar view of the same with the vent plug removed and shown in full.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral Ed designates a battery case'of the three cell type, each cell being provided with al cell cover il of hard' rubber or other rigid plastic material sealed thereto by bituminous material i2.` Each cell cover ll is formed with a vent well i3 having a ller opening extending therethrough and adapted to be engaged and partially closed by a vent plug Hl of hard rubber or other` suitable material, having a small vent i5 therethrough. A baille plate i6 is usually mounted in the vent plug so I Ias to prevent direct throw of spray through the vent.

In the form ofthe invention illustrated in Figs. 1 to' 9 inclusive, the vent well extends below the wall of the cover to the desired liquid level.

Referring particularly to the form of the in-V vention'shown in Figs. 2 to 4 inclusive, provision is made for venting the cell above thebaseothe vent well when the vent or ller plug is in place and for closing such vents when the plug is not in place so ras to prevent overlling of the cell, in the following manner:

The vent well is internally threaded, 'as at il, and the vent plug -is externally threaded, as at I8, to engage therein. pne or more vent openings |9 extend through the wall of the vent well just below the wall of the cell cover. A threaded valve member 20, of ring form, which is constructed of hard rubber or other suitable material, is externally threaded to engage correspondingthreads of the vent well and is of such depth as to cover and seal the vents I9 at one position and to uncover them when screwed farther into the vent well. The interengaging threads of the well and valve member are usually their notches, the valve member will be below the vents I9 and when the vent plug is unscrewed it will back the valve member out to a position the vent plug.

v member.

closing such vents before the vent plug` leaves the threads oi the vent well. The vent plug may then be lifted as in Fig. 3 and removed for illling purposes. In replacing the plug, an axial move ment reengages the lugs in the notches and then by turning the vent plug, in the direction necessary to seat it, the valve member will be screwed past the vent openings. To provide against rotation of the valve member to the extent where it might be dropped into the cell, a guardmember or flange 24 is formed at the lower end of the vent well. The notches 23 are made enough larger than the lugs 2| Ato permit passage of gas the ebetween from the vents I9 to the vent I5.

ere it is desired to provide quick opening,

the form of the invention shown in Figs. 5 to 8,

inclusive may be used. In this form, the vent well I3 is formed with -a smooth cylindrical bore and one or more bayonet joint slots 25, and the vent plug is formed with a smooth cylindrical e portion 26 having one or more inclined lugs 21 for engagingtherein, the arrangement being such that the plug may be seated by a single axial movement and a partial rotary movement. As shown in Fig. 6, the valve member 28 is a cylindrical ring relieved as at 29 opposite -the vents I in one position and rotatable, by engagement with the vent plug, to a position, as shown in Fig. '1, where it closes the vents I9. To provide for rotative engagement of the vent plug and f the valve member, a squared recess 30 is formed in the upper face of the 'valve memberv and a driving lug 3| for engaging therein is formed on Shallow grooves 32 insure exit of gases across the, upper iace'of the valve In the alternate form of valve.A member shown in Fig. 9'a deep wide slot -33 serves the function of both the recess 29 and the grooves 32 of the valve of Fig. 6, and is interchangeable with the valve of Fig. 6.

. In the modication illustrated in Figs. l0 and l1, the vent well is of little or`no extent below the cell cover wall and is threaded clear through. A threaded vent plug I4, indentical to that of Fig. 2 is employed. The valve member 34 isvan exteriorly threaded bushing having one or more vent holes 35 though its Athreaded portion communicating with its central bore. The vent holes are located so thatv when the valve bushing is screwed to its lower position the holes 35 are open to the space above the electrolyte and when formed with one or more lugs 2| on its upper tace to engage the notches 23. in the skirt of the vent plug and -to control rotation of the valve bushing when the vent plug is turned.

, In any of the forms of the invention when the vent or iiller plug is removed to test the cell a free passage is provided through the valve member for the passage oi Aa, hydrometer or other testing device and the vents the sides of the passage above the uid level are automatically closed so that it is impossible to fill'the'cell with iiuid above the desired level which is at the bottom of the vent well assembly, whereas where the vent or ller plug is replaced theside vents-are automatically opened so as to vent gas Iromfthe space below .the cell cover and above the bottom of the vent well. Thisis accomplishedwithout the use of metal springs or other metallic parte which-might be aected bythe presence o! acid, v

and without the use of non-metallic springs lwhich might change in strength in the presence l cable as Well to a battery having a single integral cover for the several cells.

threaded opening of said cover for bodily verti..

cal movement upon rotation in said opening and having a portion depending belowthe vcover vfor providing between the cover and anormal elec-A trolyte level a gas-trapping space adjacent-intimiv well structure beneath the cover in the. raised position of said well structure, said well struc. ture having a vent aperture in the wall thereof so located as to be in venting communication with said space below the cover when said well struc-,-

ture is in its lowered' position and to be closed' by` said cover when said well structure is in its raised, gas-trapping position.

2. A cover assembly for a container for electrolyte comprising a cover having a threaded-opening therethrough, a tubular valve and lling well structure engaging -in the threaded opening of said cover for bodily vertical movement upon rotation in said opening and having a portion depending below the cover for providing between the cover and a normal electrolyte level a gas# trapping space adjacent said illler well structure beneath the cover in the raised position of said well structure, said well-structure--having a' vent aperture in the wall thereofA so located'fas to bein venting communication with'said pace ybelow the cover when said well structure ered position and to bel closed byv said cover when said well structure is in its raised gas-trapping position, and a lvented closure member also threadedly engageable in the opening of said cover, said closure member being engageable with said well structure for rotatably moving said structure between said lowered and raised positions and being detachable from said well structure only .in the raised position ofthe latter.

HENRY J. FLIKKIE.

in its low- 

